WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FBI handed over a single still image of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the Pentagon’s UAP investigation office, newly released records show.
The document, labeled “FBI Photo B9,” was made public May 8, 2026, under the PURSUE archive by the U.S. Department of War. It describes an incident from late 2025 in the Western United States.
Officials wrote that the image was “derived from a U.S. military system in 2025.” They added that the “original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO,” the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
No mission report accompanied the submission. The operator who captured the image said they could not positively identify the UAP. The record notes the date stamped on the image is wrong because the system’s clock was not set.
The FBI document includes a narrative description of the photo, provided for informational purposes only. It describes a monochrome, grainy image with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object sits just below and left of the reticle’s center. The background shows an indistinct mountain range.
The document warns readers not to interpret any part of that description as an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination about the event’s validity, nature, or significance.
The official summary offers little beyond the image’s existence and the circumstances of its submission. The FBI document does not specify what type of U.S. military system captured the original imagery. It does not explain the nature of the redactions applied before the image reached AARO.
Because no mission report was provided, operational context is missing. The duration of the sighting, the altitude of the object, and the specific location within the Western United States remain unknown.
This release is part of a broader declassification effort. According to a Wikipedia summary of United States UFO files, the records are “a collection of declassified United States government records concerning UFOs, also called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), released by the administration of Donald Trump beginning on May 8, 2026, and announced to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials.” The entry notes the releases are ongoing, suggesting more documents may come.
Several questions remain unanswered. The redactions obscure whatever information was deemed sensitive. The lack of a mission report prevents independent verification of the operator’s account. The incorrect system date complicates efforts to place the event in a precise chronological context, though the official description places the incident in late 2025.
It is unclear why the FBI, rather than a military branch, submitted this image to AARO. The Department of Defense’s office coordinates UAP investigations. The document does not explain the FBI’s role in the incident or whether the bureau had any direct involvement in the original observation.
Future PURSUE releases may provide additional context, including the missing mission report. They could clarify the nature of the redactions. For now, “FBI Photo B9” is a single, partially obscured piece of a larger puzzle, with the official description explicitly refusing any judgment on the event’s validity or significance.
